Samuel Gawith Westmorland Mixture

I was a little unsure wether or not I would like this, due to the mixed reviews it has been given. However, I am a collector of Samuel Gawith products, and I believe they all deserve a fair chance despite what others may say. The tin aroma suggested that this would be another fine latakia mixture, with very little (if any) toppings detected. The colors of leaf were a full range display, from black to dark brown and red to bright yellow. I chose a shallow Alpha pipe to help me put this new blend on trial. My verdict: innocent. Westmorland is a pleasant crossroad between the bold and smoky turkish/oriental types and the realm of natually sweet brown cavendish and virginias. It also contains just the right amount of their notorious unsweetened black cavendish. If you've ever tried X Blend or Scotch Cut, then you can recognize the touch of this tough guy, and you know how strong it can be when used in larger amounts. I actually bought some of their black cavendish just to say that I have it, and after tasting it straight, I nicknamed it "Bitter Black". This blend is NOT a waste of time, as some others may describe it, nor is it pointless. On the contrary, it is quite to the point. Not exactly an aromatic to be sniffed at by wary onlookers. This is a blend with a rich but mild taste to be quietly enjoyed with a book by the hearth. I think that smoking Westmorland in a smaller pipe is also a wise choice. It never gurgles, never bites, and the level of latakia in this grouping of tobaccos has proven to be spot on. I enjoy it more than Perfection, which was hard to match up with the right pipe, yet similar in nature, considering the fact that the more I smoke these blends out of their chosen pipes, the better the experience becomes. It is hard to describe the characteristics, but the presence of all its components make themselves known and burn well in harmony. Do not simply try this blend once and give up. It might not be easy to categorize, but once you find a designated home for it and smoke it several times, the fine properties of Westmorland will reveal themselves to you. I highly recommend it for those intervals between balkans and virginians.

Pure Heaven! I absolutely love this blend. If you sip it properly, the Nic level is just right for a relaxing experience. If you want to draw with more vigor, then you will get hit with Nic. I would rate it Medium if I thought it was meant to be smoked that way. I believe that this blend is meant to be sipped. If smoked properly, one tastes the quality Virginias up front. The Cavendish/burley, latakia and Tonquin bean play very important supporting roles. The latakia is in the background but is definitely noticeable. The musty, earthy flavors are very cigar-like, but this does not taste like cigar tobacco as a whole. It is what I consider a near perfect blend. There is nothing else quite like it. It is in a class of its own. It is not English. It is not aromatic. It is Westmorland Mixture!

As I am writing this, I am on my third bowl of the evening. I have been smoking it in the same Savinelli author bowl that I have dedicated to this blend. I have been waiting about 45 minutes between each packing and sipping some Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban out of a Glencairn glass every now and then between sips on the pipe. It makes for a great combo.

I love English blends and good, flavorful flakes. Westmorland is in a class of its own. It is obviously neither. One might say it leans towards the Scottish mixture side, but it still is not quite that either. I do like to keep the Vitamin N levels on high. This blend carries it all nicely. I must add that you really need to try to make this bite the tongue. If you get tongue bite from it, you are not smoking it properly. You must push 75% or more out your nostrils to really take in the depth of the blend. Some people say this blend is not complex. I beg to differ. You can be drawn into the Virginias or you can meditate on the latakia. The Tonquin bean flavoring is like John Myung's bass playing. It is tasteful; artfully supporting the rest of the talent (tobaccos) and stands out from time to time just enough to let you know it is there. It supports the ensemble perfectly. If you focus on it specifically, you can experience how the other contributors dance around it and get a different perspective on the experience... much like focusing on JM when listening to Dream Theater. The Cavendish offers an alternative to the orientals that are more common in English blends. I am a burley fan, and I believe the Cavendish imparts a certain nuttiness to the palate, but it never tries to draw your attention from the other players in the mix. I am not certain whether burley was used in the development of the Cavendish, but slight almond flavor is there in the background much as in an English toffee. The mild sweetness that this blend imparts on the tongue is just enough to compliment and bring out the other delicious essences of tobacco bliss that swirl and mingle with the senses. It helps allow the nose to better play a role in the whole experience.

The moisture level is about perfect right after cracking the tin. However, the blend smokes well even after drying out a little. I have never let a tin dry out too much because I go through tins of this blend faster than any other. I recently found a website that sells it in bulk. I will be ordering it that way from now on. Only Hyde Park rivals this blend in terms of uniqueness, quality and crave potential in my opinion. However, Hyde Park is yet another tobacco in a class of its own. Westmorland may not be for everyone (just like Dream Theater), but I highly recommend that every self-respecting smoker give it a whirl at least once. Just as any self-respecting musician needs to at least appreciate what the boys in DT have achieved, so too should the experienced smoker marvel at what Samuel Gawith has done with this fine tobacco product.

I didn't know what to expect from a Tonquin-cased blend. For me, this reminded me a bit of the various Revelation-matches. Not that it tastes exactly like any of them (Epiphany, R-blend, Painter Hills), but similar, albeit a bit sweeter and with the casing flavor a bit stronger. The whisper of Latakia is there in the background, but nothing more. For me, in this blend, that works v. nicely.

This blend is predominately virginia with some cavendish. The flavoring is Tonquin Bean, and smells like fresh hay in the pouch, very nice, with the slightest hint of smoked latakia.

The smoke is sweet, mild and light bodied. The flavor is very special, subtle and elusive. The tonquin bean and latakia weave in and out if you have a clean palate and the time to relax and enjoy. The flavor is there but not there, if you know what I mean. All the while a nice mix of quality virginia and smooth cavendish relaxes and soothes your soul. A morning or first pipe of the day. Lighter and milder than Squadron Leader or Skiff.



The side stream is extremely pleasant and is a joy in itself. As ivycap mentioned, it is the fragrance of the forest after a rain. The aftertaste is mild tobacco with just a little something else that must be experienced since it cannot be described. My dedicated pipe developed a bowl aroma that is nicer to smell than most unsmoked tobacco I have tried.



This is a great smoke if you have the time and patience to enjoy it. It resets your taste buds with a mild freshness that is so very enjoyable.



However, if you are looking for a nic hit and smoke fast, like all virginias it will burn but not bite your tongue.



Slow down, relax, this to shall pass.

A high class virginia-based-blend. Just little cavendish and very little latakia. A natural nutty aroma counterpointed by a discret and enteresting mentolated flavouring. A elegant, smooth, tastefull, and , in my opinion, very underrated tobacco.

A nice departure from a traditional English blend. The Cyprian Latikia provides the smoky, woody essences though I'd have guessed there was some Dark Fired Kentucky in there as well. The Virginias bring the grassy and sweetish tastes and the Cavendish gives the toasty flavor. Theres definitely a vanillaish flavor going on in there likely provided by the touquin bean. I felt there was a good amount of nicotine in there. Dry sweet smoke with a fairly dry bowl on the finish.

Picked up a 5 1/2 year old tin on Ebay, then looked at the reviews and saw they were somewhat mixed. After smoking this tobacco for a couple of days, I have decided to throw my four stars into the mix, and if I enjoy the rest of the tin as much as I have enjoyed the beginning, may very well get a few to cellar. Has a sweet topping (sweetener, not flavor), but to me it is unobtrusive. Pretty mild, but to me at least, very pleasant. The Virginias seem top notch, as do the burning qualities. Gawith has not let me down yet; I gave my lowest rating of the Samuel Gawiths I have tried to Golden Glow, but maybe I'll even give that one another chance. Do I dare try Firedance? This has a nice balance of Virginia and cavendish, and a light application of Latakia, which to my tastes goes along well with this style.

Update 3-31-10: Firedance is great! See my review and others. So is this blend, which I am smoking as I type, in a Night & Day churchwarden. Way to go, Samuel Gawith, and hope to see more of you around these parts soon!

3-9-11 Struggling to remember this one, but I must have liked it as I smoked it all pretty quickly. I'll try it again sometime. I love Golden Glow now: someone sent me a sample which proved beyond any doubt that I judged it too harshly the first time I tried it. Question is, will Westmorland still seem like a four-star when I smoke it again?

12-19-11 I have so much tobacco I still have not bought this again, here at the end of 2011, even though I'm thinking this one has remained avaliable throughout the SG shortage. I'll revisit it someday, GWATCDR.

I've enjoyed a number of the Gawith blends over the years,so I was curious about Westmoreland Mixture,not having tried it... The strength was medium and the flavoring more subtle than I had expected. I can taste a touch of the Gawith trademark which is a full taste but here is tempered down.I shared some with my neighbor and waited for him to light a bowl first so as to get an objective whiff as the tobacco began to burn. Pleasant--kind of old style. I've smoked a few bowls since I bought this tin, and I'm delighted with the consistency and flavor throughout. At the finish, there was hardly any dottle and the pipe was clean . I like this very much and would recommend to pipe lovers everywhere.